


The Chap with the Arms

by succulentfather



Category: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Genre: Backstory, M/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-07 20:56:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21464422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/succulentfather/pseuds/succulentfather
Summary: “Would you mind terribly if I did something quite illegal?” He whispered into the space between them.“I don’t know.” The Captain whispered back.Inspired by the song 'It's Been A Long, Long Time by Harry James and Helen Forrest'(This is a chapter from my Ghosts fic 'New Faces' and I felt it would stand well as a one shot of the Captain's backstory.)
Relationships: The Captain (Ghosts TV 2019) & Original Male Character(s), The Captain/OC
Comments: 3
Kudos: 56





	The Chap with the Arms

** _1934_ **

A younger, moustache-less Captain sat at the bar by himself, beer in hand. Chairs and tables had been moved around to make space in front of the makeshift stage where a band were preparing to play. Assortments of brass instruments were being cleaned and what looked like a cello through his tipsy haze rested in the corner. His uniform was instead a casual shirt with the sleeves rolled up and boring grey trousers to match; his army jacket was draped over his shoulders. 

With another sip of his beer, the band began to play and couples milling around moved to the open space and started to dance. It was a slow song; the couples dancing assumed the slow dance position and swayed gently from side to side. The women leaned softly into their male counterparts and flowed like liquid across the floor. It was almost poetic as the Captain (then  Sergeant) watched on from a distance as the trumpet player in the band blasted out the rhythmic tune. 

As his eyes danced around the room they landed on a particularly handsome young man dancing with a short, blonde woman. For some inexplicable reason he couldn’t take his eyes off the chap and his almost infectious smile. The mousy brown hair that fell perfectly over his forehead and his strong arms that held the blonde made him melt a little inside. The Captain had no idea how long he had been staring for, but for a split second the man caught his gaze and he averted his eyes, feeling a blush creep up his cheeks. His eyes found their way to his drink, which was nearing the bottom of the glass, and he carelessly ran his fingers around the rim as he thought of the beautiful man and his piercing gaze. 

Time must have escaped him once more, because as he was brought back to his senses and was about to order another beer, the man that had been gliding across the dancefloor had now materialised directly next to him. 

“Hello there.” He greeted him, a sort of smirk creeping up the side of his face. 

“Oh, uh, hello.” The Captain awkwardly replied, straightening himself up and puffing out his chest as if he were addressing his military superior. 

“Not much of a dancer?” the man asked as he leaned over the bar to try and get the bartender’s attention. 

“Uh, excuse me?” He tried to act nonchalant, but the constant stumbling over his words was a dead giveaway, and the man seemed to catch on. 

“Do you not dance?” The man repeated himself, smiling. 

“No, I uh, its just I-”

The man started to laugh to himself, “Don’t worry, this isn’t an interrogation. You want another beer?” 

“No, let me.” The Captain mirrored the man’s stance over the bar to try and get the bartender’s attention. 

The bartender noticed the man first and he ordered two beers for them. He threw a smug smile over at the Captain, who pretended to be offended. 

“I’m Jack, by the way.” he introduced himself as they sipped the beers. 

The band played on in the background and The Captain and Jack got on like a house on fire, talking about nothing in particular. Jack had complimented him on his military jacket and thanked him for his service, and the Captain had tried his best to return it and compliment him on his dancing, but in a more awkward fashion. He loved the way Jack’s eyes crinkled when he smiled and how gently his lips pressed to the glass when he took a sip. At a certain point the Captain had sort of drowned out what Jack was saying, and the music drifting over from the band had become muffled in his ears as he watched Jack’s every little move. For a brief moment, he completely forgot that the thoughts racing through his head and the way he was staring at this man in front of him could land him in a mental hospital. He completely forgot the pain he felt every day for being different, for being wrong, and basked in the pure elation (and slight excess of alcohol) of spending this time with Jack. 

Later in the night as the bar started to filter out, the Captain and Jack finished the last of what must have been countless pints of the golden liquid. The Captain could feel the floor swaying under his feet and undoubtedly Jack could too. 

“Do you want to get some air?” Jack suggested, loosely holding onto the side of the bar for support. 

“Good idea.” The Captain breathed, squeezing his eyes to try and fight the nausea. 

They stumbled out of the bar into the cold night air and Jack missed a step, tripping into the Captain, who caught him on instinct. They paused awkwardly and he held him, before Jack slurred a ‘thank you’ and they proceeded to walk out into the street. A cold breeze blew past them and Jack shivered in his thin shirt. 

“Here, take my jacket.” The Captain took off his military jacket and drunkenly thrust it into Jack’s hands with a smile. 

Jack clutched at the jacket and furrowed his brow at the Captain, “No, I can’t I-” 

“Just put it on, you dead hoofer.” The Captain joked, giving Jack’s shoulder a playful tap. 

Jack gave in and clumsily swung it round his shoulders and put his arms in. The Captain had been definitely sure Jack couldn’t get any more attractive, but seeing him in his military jacket made his drunken mind even more in love with the man. The piercing cold air found its way to him, but he didn’t mind as he watched Jack out of the corner of his eye wrapping the coat around his body, as it was a little too big for his thinner frame. They turned into a dimly lit empty alley as a shortcut, whose drunken idea it had been neither of them knew, but the Captain wasn’t complaining when Jack swayed closer and closer to him as they walked side by side. All of a sudden, Jack stopped in his tracks and seemed to be thinking hard about something. 

“Are you alright, Jack?” The Captain asked, a little concerned that he was about to either fall over or throw up. 

Jack just stood there, his eyebrows knitted together like a patchwork quilt. He swayed a little due to the amount of alcohol that had found its way into him over the course of the evening, but he didn’t fall over; he just stood there, thinking about something. 

“Jack, is something the matter?” The Captain attempted to get a response out of him. 

“I never asked you if you’ve got a wife?” he eventually slurred out. 

“Oh, uh…” The Captain stuttered, a little taken aback at the randomness of the question. He actually tended to avoid that question all together due to the fact he wasn’t getting any younger and most people his age had already settled down. He avoided it because people would start to  _ suspect _ . 

“Because I haven’t.” Jack ignored the Captain’s lack of response, “Haven’t even got a girlfriend, would you believe.” 

“Oh, right.” The Captain, in his similarly drunken state, tried to take in everything he was saying. 

Jack half stumbled and the Captain caught him once again, by the shoulders this time, and he stood him back up. A strange smile crept onto Jack’s face, one that sort of conveyed cunning and drunken scheming, if that was even a thing. 

“You know what my mother calls me sometimes?” Jack stared into his eyes, the grin still plastered onto him. 

“No, what does she call you?” The Captain played along, still holding Jack upright by the shoulders. 

Jack sniggered a little before responding, “She calls me… ‘light in the loafers’... and I don’t even own loafers!” 

It took the Captain’s nauseous state a moment to take in what Jack was saying, but he recognised that phrase all too well. Joining the army had ironed out any ‘kinks’ he had in his stature, but now that the man he had found extremely attractive was admitting to having a bit of a ‘swagger’ in his walk, he felt himself grow even more infatuated with him. 

Then they stood there for a moment. Neither one of them spoke and they just stared into each others eyes. The smile slowly dropped from Jack’s lips, but the Captain didn’t notice because he was too engulfed in the beauty of his eyes. He also didn’t notice the space between them becoming thinner and thinner, or how he could now feel Jack’s gentle breath on his face. 

“Would you mind terribly if I did something quite illegal?” Jack whispered into the space between them. 

“I don’t know.” The Captain whispered back, still entranced by Jack’s eyes, “It would depend-”

Jack kissed him. It was soft and gentle, but also drunken and sloppy. The cold night air had seemingly disappeared as Jack held the Captain’s face to his with tender hands. The Captain kissed back, and thanked God that they were alone in this moment; just him and Jack in this empty alley, away from the judging eyes of society. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading my attempt of the Captain's backstory and I hope you enjoyed it. If you liked this I would really appreciate it if you took a look at the fic this came from, 'New Faces' if you haven't already :)


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